Device for interaction with an augmented object

ABSTRACT

A device for interacting with at least one augmented object, where the augmented object comprises a physical object and an associated virtual object, said virtual object comprising at least one service definition element, where it is possible to connect to the augmented object via a first means of communication, said device comprising: A means of video capture, A user terminal, An automatic means of identifying the augmented object, A means of communication, capable of establishing a connection between the device and the identified augmented object, and to recover said service definition elements, A means of defining a control interface for the services of the identified augmented object according to said service definition elements, A reader, capable of reading the commands, in relation to said control interface, A means of communication, to transmit said commands to the augmented object for execution.

The present invention concerns a new interaction paradigm, enabling auser to interact with at least one object in an environment, through theintermediary of a video link.

Many environments and applications require the interaction of a userwith objects seen through a video link, for example in the case ofremote objects, or dangerous environments.

It is common, for example from U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,343, to display, viaa video link, an environment comprising at least one “active” object,and to superimpose command interface elements associated with servicesoffered by said object, in order to enable a user to interact with saidobject, the video link making it possible to visually monitor theconsequences of an interaction.

However, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,343, the user must, in advance of anyaction, define associations between, on the one hand, the commandinterface elements typically coming from a storage medium, and on theother hand, the services offered by an object.

Since the arrival of the Internet of Things, the discovery and controlof remote objects through a video image has become a major area ofinterest. The main problem is to discover and act on an interactiveobject via a video link, while limiting the interface integration andconfiguration work.

This implies an ability to automatically distinguish objects that have aremote control interface from other ordinary objects, as well as anability to present this control interface to the user together with saidvideo, in order to enable the user to control the remote object by usingthe services offered by said object.

Currently, it is only common to insert static information into a video,or to insert comments into a specific area of an image.

This invention remedies these disadvantages by proposing the means toautomatically associate an active object with control interfaces ormeans of defining such interfaces. This is made possible through theinnovative concept of the augmented object. Such a concept naturallyfinds its place in current developments concerning the Internet ofThings.

The purpose of the invention is a device enabling a user, located in auser area, to interact with at least one augmented object present in anenvironment, said augmented object being located in an object area, theaugmented object comprising a physical object and an associated virtualobject, said virtual object comprising at least one definition elementfor at least one service offered by said augmented object, saidaugmented object being able to be connected via a first means ofcommunication, and said device comprising:

-   -   A means of capturing video, located in the object area, capable        of taking a video image, of at least one part of said        environment,    -   A second means of communication, capable of transmitting said        video image of the object area to the user area,    -   A user terminal located in the user area, capable of displaying        said video image, in order to present to the user,    -   A means of automatically identifying the augmented object when        the associated physical object is present in the field of the        means of video capture,    -   A first means of communication, capable of establishing a        connection between the device and the identified augmented        object, and to recover said definition elements for the services        offered by said augmented object,    -   A means of defining the control interface, capable of defining a        control interface for the services of the identified augmented        object according to said service definition elements, and to        present said control interface to the user, through the user        terminal,    -   A reader commands for said services, capable of reading the        commands coming from the user, in relation to said control        interface,    -   A third means of communication, capable of transmitting said        commands to the augmented object, so that the physical object        can execute said services.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the device alsocomprises a means of sound capture, located in the object area, capableof capturing sound from the environment, a fourth means of communicationcapable of transmitting said sound from the object area to the userarea, the user terminal comprising a means of sound play-hack, capableof playing said sound for the user.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the attitudeand/or position of the means of video capture can be controlled, theuser terminal also comprises a means of command, capable of enabling theuser to carry out said control by producing control commands, and thedevice also comprises a fifth means of communication, capable oftransmitting said control commands from the user area to the objectarea.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the means ofautomatically identifying the augmented object comprises a means ofrecognizing the shape of the physical object.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the means ofautomatically identifying the augmented object comprises a means oflocating the physical object.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the means ofautomatically identifying the augmented object comprises an identifyingmarker positioned on or near the physical object.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the interfacedefinition means is capable of using a control interface proposeddirectly by the augmented object.

According to an alternative characteristic of the invention, theinterface definition means is capable of recovering a control interfacedefined according to the service definition elements from a means ofstorage.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the interfacedefinition means is capable of displaying said control interface,embedded into the video image displayed on the user terminal.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the means ofreading the commands for said services, in relation with said controlinterface, comprises a keyboard, a touch pad, and/or a pointingmechanism.

According to another characteristic of the invention, the third means ofcommunicating the commands for said services to the augmented objectcomprises a link between the user terminal and the augmented object anda special connection interface between the virtual object and thephysical object.

According to another advantageous characteristic of the invention, thefirst, second, third, fourth, and fifth means of communication alsocomprise the Internet network.

Other characteristics, details, and advantages of the invention willbecome more clearly apparent from the detailed description given belowby way of example with reference to the drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a synoptic diagram of a device according to the invention,

FIG. 2 depicts an example of an object area comprising an augmentedobject,

FIG. 3 shows an example of the superimposed display of a video image anda control interface for the augmented object presented in FIG. 2.

FIG. 1 depicts a device 1 according to the invention. In a so-calledobject area 2, there is an environment comprising at least one augmentedobject 3. Said device 1 enables a user 5 located in a user area 4,typically distinct and remote from the object area 2, to detect theaugmented object or objects 3 and to interact with them. To do so,according to an essential characteristic of the invention, an augmentedobject is constructed around a physical object 6, to which a virtualobject is added 7. Said physical object 6 is a real world object 6,preferably an active object, in the sense that it can offer at least oneservice.

As illustrative and non-limiting examples, some objects 3 can be citedto explain the point. Thus a lamp is an object that can offer twoservices: a “turn on” service to turn on said lamp, and a “turn off”service to turn off said lamp. A multimedia player is another objectthat could for example offer a “broadcast” service for multimediacontent. Lastly, a telephone is an object that could propose a “call”service to establish a telephone connection.

In order to define the augmented object 3 and the services that it mayoffer, a virtual object 7 is associated with the physical object 6. Thisvirtual object 7 is a computer world object. Therefore, it comprisespurely data and/or program type software elements, and may also comprisephysical, typically electronic, management, interface, orinterconnection elements.

Said virtual object 7 may comprise at least one definition and/oridentification element for the physical object 6. Therefore, anaugmented object 3 is defined uniquely within a given environment. Thevirtual object 7 associated with a physical object 6 comprises at leastone definition element, defining the service or services offered by saidaugmented object 3, via the physical object 6.

According to an essential characteristic of the invention, it ispossible to connect to the augmented object via a first means ofcommunication 10, for example a network. The connection and thecommunication interface with said means of communication 10 are carriedout by the virtual object 7 of the augmented object 3. Therefore, a user5 may connect to an augmented object 3, via a user terminal 12, in orderto dialogue and exchange information.

The device 1 comprises a means of video capture 8 capable of taking avideo image 9 of at least part of the environment. This means of videocapture 8 is located in the object area 2. This means of video capture 8may comprise at least one video camera, for example a webcam.

A second means of communication 11, makes it possible to transmit saidcaptured video image 9 from the object area 2 to the user area 4.

The user 5 dialogues with the device 1 and commands it using a userterminal 12. The user terminal 12 is located in the user area 4 and iscapable of displaying said video image 9 captured and transmitted forpresentation to the user 5. Therefore, the user 5 may advantageously,remotely, be visually informed in real time of what is happening in theobject area 2.

The device 1 also comprises an automatic means of identifying 13 anaugmented object 3 when the physical object 6 associated with thisaugmented object 3 is present in the field of the means of video capture8. Said means of identification 13 may function according to variousprinciples, including some that will be described by way ofillustration. The identification may be carried out at any time, byrequest, or continuously. However, an object 3 must be identifiable, atleast when it is visible to the means of video capture 8 and present inthe video image 9 presented to the user 5. As will be described later,the identification process makes it possible to recognize the object 3and to uniquely identify it. This identification therefore provides ameans of locating said object 3 in order to connect to it. Thus, in thecase of a communication network, the identification provides a uniquenetwork address for said augmented object 3, making it possible tolocate the object on the network and connect to it.

The device 1 also comprises a first means of communication 10. The firstmeans of communication 10 makes it possible to establish a connectionbetween the device 1 and the augmented object 3 thus identified, basedon the identification element or elements provided by the means ofidentification 13. The connection established with the augmented object3 makes it possible to query the augmented object 3 to recoverinformation about the augmented object 3 contained in a means of storageassociated with said object 3 or referenced by said object 3.

From the information thus recovered, the device 1 distinguishes at leastthe definition elements for one or more services offered by saidaugmented object 3.

Therefore, to return to the lamp example, the device connects to theaugmented lamp identified and recovers two services, “turn on” and “turnoff”, as well as the definition elements for these services. Therefore,in the present case the definition elements for the “turn on” servicecomprise for example its name: “turn on”, its type: binary command, aswell as the elements necessary for its implementation: address of thephysical connection to be activated to carry out the service to turn onthe lamp.

It goes without saying that if several augmented objects 3 can beidentified in a video image 9, several connections are established,sequentially or in parallel, between the device 1 and each of thevarious augmented objects 3, in order to recover information about eachone.

The device 1 also comprises a means of defining a control interface 14,which, based on the service definition elements for an augmented object3, may define a control interface 15 for the services of the identifiedaugmented object 3. This control interface 15 presents a front panel,for example graphical, that can be displayed on the user terminal 12 inorder to be perceived by the user 5. In relation to this front panel,the control interface 15 comprises the connections necessary to transmitthe service commands to the augmented object 3. The control interface 15is defined according to the service definition elements.

The device 1 also comprises a reader 16 capable of reading the commandsapplied by the user 5. This reader 16 is configured according to theservice definition elements extracted from the identified augmentedobject 3 and in relation to the front panel of said control interface15.

Thus, to return to the lamp example, the two services, “turn on” and“turn off”, will, for example, be shown on a control interface 15comprising 2 buttons. These two buttons will be shown graphically, eachrecognisable by its name. The reader 16 is then capable of detectingactivation by the user 5 of one or the other of the two buttons. If theuser operates the button associated with the “turn on” service, thereader 16 will read a corresponding “turn on” service command.

The device also comprises a third means of communication 17. This meansof communication is in charge of transmitting a command read by thereader 16 to the augmented object 3. This transmission is carried out sothat the augmented object receives said command and executes thecorresponding service on the physical object 6.

Thus, to continue with the lamp example, a “turn on” command is read. Itis transmitted to the augmented lamp object, which then activates thenecessary interface elements so that the service is executed and thephysical lamp turns on.

The perception of the environment presented to the user 5 isadvantageously visual through the video image 9. It may however bereplaced or supplemented by feedback involving other sensory means.Thus, the device 1 may advantageously comprise a means of sound capture,in the object area 3, more or less geographically close to the means ofvideo capture 8 in order to capture sound from the environment. A fourthmeans of transmission is then used to transmit said sound from theobject area 2 to the user area 4, in order to play said sound using ameans of sound production, such as headphones or speakers, contained inthe user terminal 12, to the user 5.

It is also possible to add other feedback based on the same principle,such as touch feedback. All these perceptual aids work together toinform the user 5 about the environment and what is happening there,particularly in response to the user's actions 5 controlling theservices of the augmented objects 3 and thus modifying said environment.

Advantageously, in order to vary the field perceived by the means ofvideo capture 8 and thus to increase the scope of the environment thatcan be perceived by the remote user 5, the means of video capture 8 canbe controlled. Therefore the attitude of the video capture device may becontrolled, for example in terms of elevation and bearing. A videocapture device may also have a zoom control. A video capture device mayalso have a position control. The latter possibility may be carried outusing a mobile base, such as a controllable robot, with a video capturedevice mounted on said mobile base. This may also be carried out withseveral video capture devices coupled to a control room type means ofselecting sources. It is also possible to combine these variousembodiments. The user terminal 12 then comprises a means of control 18adapted to the structure of the means of video capture 8, capable ofenabling the user 5 to carry out said control and producing controlcommands. The device 1 advantageously comprises a fifth means ofcommunication 19 capable of transmitting said control commands from theuser area 4 to the object area 2, for execution by the control body orbodies carrying out the attitude, position, selection commands on themeans of video capture 8.

One important part of the device 1 is the identification of theaugmented object 3. Several techniques can be applied equally to obtainsuch an identification. Identification is necessary in that it makes itpossible to uniquely designate the augmented object 3 in order toconnect to said augmented object 3.

A first embodiment of a means of identification may use shaperecognition according to any known method, by analysis of the videoimage 9. However, such an analysis enables recognition and notidentification. Shape analysis thus makes it possible to recognize thatan object is a lamp, but identification requires knowing precisely whichlamp it is.

A shape recognition method must therefore be supplemented by othermeans. It is therefore possible to proceed by using a pre-establishedinventory. The lamp may thus be identified with certainty if there isonly one lamp (or one lamp of this type/colour, or in thisenvironment/room).

Another embodiment of a means of identification 13 may use the locationof the physical object 6, alone or in combination with another meanssuch as shape recognition. Thus the object is identified by itslocation. The object is a lamp because it is in the left corner of theroom. Or again in combination, the lamp recognized by its shape is lampno. 3 because it is (the only lamp) located one meter above the floor.Such an approach requires, however, advance definition, for example inthe form of mapping, of the positions of various objects, which reducesthe generic nature of the device. Another disadvantage is that itbecomes difficult or impossible to identify an augmented object 3 if ithas been moved.

Determining the position of an object may be carried out based on theposition and attitude of the means of video capture 8. Therefore, as theposition of the video capture device is known, because it is fixed or byany known means of location, such as a GPS receiver, if it is variable,the position of an object may be determined by knowing the angle ofattitude of said video capture device. Properly speaking, suchidentification indicates a line and not a position. However, suchidentification may suffice to identify an object 3, if no other object(or object of the same type, or of the same shape, etc.) is present onsaid line.

However, an embodiment of a means of identification 13 not requiring anyadvance mapping preparation and tolerating the potential and alwayspossible movement of the object 3 is preferable. Such a means ofidentification 13 can be carried out by equipping the physical object 6associated with an augmented object 3 that one wants to identify with anidentifying marker 20. Such a marker 20 is unique so as to beidentifying. It is positioned on or near the physical object 6. It isplaced so that it can be seen/read depending upon its type. Itscharacteristic signature (shape, colour, coding, etc.) is saved in alook-up table, accessible from the device 1, associating a signaturewith a unique augmented object identifier (for example the networkaddress of said augmented object 3). An alternative approach consists ofcoding the identification elements of the augmented object 3 enablingconnection directly into the identifying marker 20.

According to this embodiment, advance preparation of the environment isalso necessary here. However, here, the preparation is carried out onlyonce, for each augmented object 3, individually and independently. It isconceivable, that all the candidate objects will be configured in thisway in the factory in the future, associating them with a uniquevisible/legible identifying marker 20 and a network connection address,for example, the current MAC address. It the correspondence between theidentifying marker 20 and the connection identification elements is notcoded directly into the identifying marker itself, the look-up table maybe published by the manufacturer of the object, for example on theInternet, so as to be accessible.

The identifying marker 20 may be a visual marker (pictogram, bar code,colour code, etc.) visible advantageously by the means of video capture8, so as to be recognized by the device 1, for example by imageanalysis. A visual “coding”, such as a bar code, advantageously makes itpossible to directly include the network connection identifier into itscode, or else an address or any other means of reference making itpossible to find it.

Advantageously, such a visual marker does not require any additionalmeans of reading, as it reuses the means of video capture 8. Onedisadvantage of such a visual marker is that it is only visible in thelimited area of the space around a privileged direction.

According to an alternative embodiment, the identifying marker is aradio frequency label, also known under the name RFID. In this case, thedevice 1 must also comprise a radio frequency label reader. The reader,located in the object area 2 is capable of reading such a radiofrequency label. Such a radio frequency label is “coding” with thepreviously mentioned advantage. Advantageously, such a radio frequencylabel does not need to be seen to be able to be read and may behidden/embedded in the object 3. Also advantageously, reading such aradio frequency label may be carried out indifferently in any spatialdirection.

It has been described that the means of defining the interface 14extracts, from the augmented object 3, the definition elements of thecontrol interface 15 associated with the services offered by saidaugmented object 3. The control interface is at least defined by type bythe object 3. Therefore, in the lamp example, the definition elementsfor the control interface 15 comprise at least the indication that eachof the two services, “turn on” and “turn off”, are associated with abinary command. The object may 1150 comprise more specific indications,such as the layout, appearance, or even the detailed graphicalrepresentation of a control interface 15 proposed by the augmentedobject 3.

According to a first embodiment, the means of defining the interface 14directly and fully uses the control interface proposed by the augmentedobject 3. This makes it possible to comply with a graphical aestheticunique to the augmented object 3.

Alternatively, the means of defining the interface 14 uses typedefinition elements to construct a control interface 15 compatible withthe object 3 and its services, but defines a graphical appearancewithout considering the one proposed by the augmented object 3. Thismakes it possible for the means of defining the interface 14 to proposea control interface 15 with a homogeneous graphical aesthetic from oneaugmented object 3 to another.

This ability to automatically extract the interface type definitionelements and all or part of their graphical representation, from theaugmented object 3 identified in a video image 9 without any priorknowledge of the environment or the objects is highly advantageous inthat it enables the implementation of the device 1 without advancedefinition, environmental modelling, or configuration.

Moreover, automatic and autonomous identification (without configurationor preparation) makes it possible to understand an unknown environmentand tolerate changes to said environment, for example by moving theobjects 3.

It is clear that the elements extracted after connection to theaugmented object 3 may be extracted from a means of storage contained inthe augmented object 3 itself. Alternatively, a reference or address maybe extracted from the object 3 indicating a remote means of storagewhere these elements are stored.

After having defined said control interface 15, the means of definition14 is capable of displaying it on a means of display advantageouslycontained in the user terminal 12.

According to a particularly advantageous embodiment, the display of saidcontrol interface 15 is carried out, by a graphical overlay directly onthe video image 9. Therefore, on a single means of display, the user 5has all the information necessary for interacting with an object 3 inorder to use its services. The control interface is thereforeadvantageously located near the augmented object 3 to which it isassociated. The user 5 may thus control the services of the object 3using said control interface 15, and on the same display observe theconsequences of using a service.

Thus, still with the lamp example, a graphical representation of thecontrol interface is superimposed on a video image in which the lampappears, near the lamp so that the association is clear, showing the“turn on” and “turn off” buttons. When the user 4 commands one of thesetwo services, he or she may directly observe the consequence on theenvironment through the video image 9. Therefore, after commanding the“turn on” service, the lamp is turned on, and the user 5 may observe theeffect of lighting in the environment.

Together with said control interface 15 presented to the user 5, thedevice 1 comprises a means of reading 16 the commands carried out by theuser 5. This reader 16 may comprise a keyboard, a touch pad, and/or apointing device. This element or these elements are configured inrelation to the control interface 15. Thus, in the lamp example, akeyboard may be used by associating a key with each of the two services,“turn on” and “turn off”. Pressing the associated key commands saidservice. A touch pad may also be used. Advantageously, it is overlaidonto the means of display upon which the graphical representation of thecontrol interface 15 is displayed. Also traditionally, a mouse (orjoystick, trackball, pad, etc.) pointing device may be used. In thiscase, a graphical button is activated by clicking on its active zone.

It must be possible to establish a connection with an augmented object3, as defined in relation to the present invention. A first means ofcommunication is therefore used to access information from the objectand to define its control interface.

A third means of communication 17 is also used to transmit a command fora service from the user terminal 12 that read said command from the user5 to the augmented object 3, which executes said command to carry outthe corresponding service.

This third means of communication 17 systematically comprises a firstlink between the user terminal 12 and the augmented object 3. Thisconnection, most often through a network, establishes a link between theuser terminal 12 and the virtual object 7. It may also comprise a secondconnection. The second connection is a special connection interfacebetween the virtual object 7 and the physical object 6. Thus, in thecase of the lamp, which is, before augmentation, a purely physicalobject, it is necessary to supplement it with a special connectioninterface physically associating the two virtual services, “turn on” andturn off”, with a switch device.

In the case of an electronic or computer object, such as a network driveor a DVD player having an Internet interface, intrinsically comprising anetwork interface, these two connections overlap.

According to one advantageous embodiment, the first, second, third,fourth, and fifth means of communication overlap and comprise acommunication network, for example, the Internet.

Therefore, to supplement and illustrate this description of thestructure of the device 1, an example will now be presented toillustrate its usage, so as to show the potentialities of this newparadigm.

The application framework is a remote interaction in a home applianceenvironment, applied to entertainment and child monitoring, at home, bya parent (user 5) from his or her workplace, using a terminal 12.

The user 5 can view the interior of the home (object area 2) from his orher workplace (user area 4) using a webcam 8 whose image isretransmitted, via Internet, advantageously to a standard personalcomputer (user terminal 12). The video image 9 shows a living room. Thedevice automatically detects and, where applicable, graphicallyhighlights the presence of three augmented objects in this scene: alamp, a telephone, and a multimedia player. The device selectively (forexample when one moves a pointer over the object) makes it possible todisplay or hide a control interface 15 for each of the three augmentedobjects.

It is 5:00 pm and the parent can observe, via the video, his or herchild who has returned home.

The parent selects the telephone object. This displays a controlinterface offering at least a “call me” service. This service iscommanded and triggers the establishment of a telephone call to thetelephone present in the home, and which connects the parent, via theterminal, and the child via said telephone.

During the conversation that follows, the parent proposes that the childwatch the latest video clip from their favourite group, which the parenthas just downloaded.

The parent selects the multimedia player. This displays a controlinterface offering at least a “broadcast” service. The parent selectsthe video clip on the desktop of his or her terminal and drags it ontothe control interface for the “broadcast” service. This triggers thedownloading of said clip from the workplace to the multimedia player athome and then plays said clip on said multimedia player for the child'sviewing.

So as not to disrupt the broadcast of the clip, the parent can selectthe lamp object, to turn it off, all carried out remotely.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A device enabling a user, located in a userarea, to interact with at least one augmented object present in anenvironment, said augmented object being located in an object area, theaugmented object comprising a physical object and an associated virtualobject, said virtual object comprising at least one service definitionelement for at least one service offered by said augmented object, saidaugmented object being able to be connected via a first means ofcommunication and said device comprises: A video camera, located in theobject area, taking a video image, of at least one part of saidenvironment, one or more processors configured to transmit said videoimage of the object area to the user area, A user terminal located inthe user area, displaying said video image, in order to present to theuser, wherein the one or more processors is further configured to:automatically identify the augmented object when the associated physicalobject is present in a field of view of the video camera, establish aconnection between the device and the identified augmented object, andto recover one or more service definition elements of services offeredby said augmented object, define a control interface for the services ofthe identified augmented object according to said one or more servicedefinition elements, and to present said control interface of theidentified augmented object to the user, through the user terminal,receive, via the control interface presented on the user terminal, usercommands for said services, in relation to said control interface, andtransmit said user commands to the augmented object, so that thephysical object can execute said services.
 2. A device according toclaim 1, comprising a microphone, located in the object area, capable ofcapturing sound from the environment, wherein the one or more processorsis further configured to transmit said sound from the object area to theuser area, where the sound is played back by the user terminal for theuser.
 3. A device according to claim 1, where an attitude and/orposition of the video camera can be controlled, where the user terminalalso comprises a video command interface, capable of enabling the userto carry out said control by producing control commands, and wherein theone or more processors is further configured to transmit-said controlcommands from the user area to the object area.
 4. A device according toclaim 1, where the one or more processors is configured to recognize ashape of the physical object (6) when automatically identifying theaugmented object.
 5. A device according to claim 1, where the one ormore processors is configured to locate the physical object whenautomatically identifying the augmented object.
 6. A device according toclaim 1, where the one or more processors is configured to identify anidentifying marker located on or near the physical object whenautomatically identifying the augmented object.
 7. A device according toclaim 6, where the identifying marker is a visual marker.
 8. A deviceaccording to claim 6, where the identifying marker is a radio frequencylabel, and where the device also comprises a radio frequency labelreader located in the object area capable of reading such a radiofrequency label.
 9. A device according to claim 1, where the one or moreprocessors defines the control interface using a control interfaceproposed directly by the augmented object.
 10. A device according toclaim 1, where the one or more processors defines the control interfaceby recovering a control interface defined according to the one or moreservice definition elements from a computer-readable storage medium. 11.A device according to claim 1, where the one or more processors definesthe control interface by embedding the control interface in the videoimage displayed on the user terminal.
 12. A device according to claim 1,where the user terminal, in relation with said control interface,comprises a keyboard, a touch pad, and/or a pointing mechanism.
 13. Adevice according to claim 1, where the one or more processors generatesa link between the user terminal and the augmented object and a specialconnection interface between the virtual object and the physical object.14. A device according to claim 1, where the one or more processors isfurther configured to communicate over the Internet.